Slik have been an integral part of the tripod industry since 1952 when the Slik Elevator Tripod Co. was founded in Japan. Since then, their tripods have been copied to within an inch of their lives.

Slik are quite happy about that.

Slik Pro 500DX: Specification

Minimum height: 35.0cm

Maximum height: 162.5cm

Weight: 2.48kg

Load capacity: 4.5kg

Colour: Black

Material: Aluminium/Magnesium/Titanium

Leg sections: Three

Leg lock type: Speed release lock

Centre column: 28.0cm

Head: All-metal 3way pan head

Attachment: 3/8in

Slik Pro 500DX: FeaturesAnyone can stick the word "pro" on their products to make them sound better but if you're going to attract professionals, it needs something that will be a benefit to them. Slik's Pro 500DX tripod has their exclusive AMT technology which is a mixture of Aluminium, Magnesium and Titanium to make a tripod lighter than a standard Aluminium tripod. Its strength to weight ratio is 40% greater than standard Aluminium and Slik say it will hold a Pro DSLR and 300mm f/2.8 lens with no problems.

Unpacking the tripod and I immediately noticed the grip with two handles and at first I assumed that it was a clever double locking system to make the head ultra steady. Instead the rear handle is for the tilt and is only screwed into the pan handle for shipping as it makes the unit slimmer, saving on space.

Dropping the legs out is an amusing task at first. It took three of us to finally get one of the legs to full extension but consistant use soon loosens the joints.

The main parts of the legs are covered in protective foam which helps against bashing it through your normal working life as well as providing a little comfort if you like to sling it over your back.

The centre column has a dual locking system with the usual large cog like nut called a locking collar and a smaller locking nut called a centre column stopper sat just under. You can also remove the centre column base stopper and invert the centre column for macro or copy work.

With this being a Pro model I was surprised at the lack of a quick release plate lock. Nearly all tripods have some way of locking the lever back for quick camera changes but this doesn't have it. My only thought as to why this might be is that you can't accidentally leave it locked back and watch your five thousand pounds worth of equipment fall to the floor.

There's also no spirit level which I'm also surprised at. It makes me wonder whether the Pro tag has been added so amateurs will think they're buying into something better than what it really is.

You can extend the legs out to the sides and lower it down by pushing the small clip in that's found at the joint where the leg joins the torso of the tripod. The legs may need to be wiggled slightly as they can click into a small recess and lock themselves in.

Slik Pro 500DX: PerformanceAfter using some of the newer carbon fibre models, it was difficult to use this in comparison. That's not to say it's a heavy tripod, it's just heavier than some others.

The Titanium gives a stronger feel to it and when it's in work it certainly feels stronger. I attached an Olympus E-3 with battery grip and 50-200mm lens and it coped admirably apart from a slight shake on the quick release plate where the lock wasn't fitting snugly enough.

At this stage I also noticed that the quick release plate locking handle is made of plastic. Massive over use from a professional will wear this down quicker than a metal variety and I'm disappointed to not see one here.

Slik Pro 500DX: VerdictIt's well built and while being on the heavy side, it's lighter than a lot of models using similar materials. It's classed as a pro model and I don't see why some professionals wouldn't get the standard they desire from it. I think because of these points, Slik could possibly get away with pricing it slightly higher. Maybe no higher than £150, but £122 takes it into the lower classifications.

It can't compare with carbon fibre in terms of weight but the advantage it has is that if you knock a glancing blow on it, it's less likely to move because of it's increased weight.

My main concern is the quick release plate locking lever. It's the flimsiest part of the tripod but will see the most use.

Comments

I had one of these. I think you are right about the quick relase plate latch. After a little while the whole plate would not lock down securely. Could have been a plate casting dimensional problem, because that same plate wouldn't lock on other 500's in the shop, but the latch pivot in (engineering plastic) did wear very quickly around the metal pivot pin. Basically, with a bit of wear, the latch is permitted to ride up, and thus it "sees" a smaller latch plate because the latch plate has a bevelled edge. The whole problem (if I could have been bothered to make one) could have been solved by fitting a hardened washer between the top flange of the latch pivot pin and the latch itself to take up the slack.
Swapped it (and paid the difference) for a Slik AMT, which is very good indeed. Chalk and cheese.

I had one of these. I think you are right about the quick relase plate latch. After a little while the whole plate would not lock down securely. Could have been a plate casting dimensional problem, because that same plate wouldn't lock on other 500's in the shop, but the latch pivot in (engineering plastic) did wear very quickly around the metal pivot pin. Basically, with a bit of wear, the latch is permitted to ride up, and thus it "sees" a smaller latch plate because the latch plate has a bevelled edge. The whole problem (if I could have been bothered to make one) could have been solved by fitting a hardened washer between the top flange of the latch pivot pin and the latch itself to take up the slack.

Swapped it (and paid the difference) for a Slik AMT, which is very good indeed. Chalk and cheese.